March 20 - Soldier / Monk

March 20 – Soldier – Monk

Just about the time that the Protestants were defining the differences between themselves and the Catholic church, change was beginning to happen within the church. They could no longer tolerate the abuses and excesses and as they saw the large numbers of people being converted to Christianity through Protestantism, realized they were losing a lot of their foundation. Things had to change.

In 1540, Catholics and Protestants met to try to iron out differences and attempt a reunion. There was no way it would happen. Many doctrinal issues were easily dealt with, but there was no budging on the pope’s power and on the Lord’s Supper. The Catholics moved forward into a new era.

Where did their leadership come from? A Spanish soldier named Ignatius Loyola. He had been wounded in battle and while recuperating read Thomas A’Kempis’s ‘Imitation of Christ.’ His life was transformed and along with several friends, committed themselves to poverty, chastity and obedience to the pope.

That year, 1540, Pope Paul III gave his approval to the Society of Jesus with Loyola as its leader.

Loyola surrounded himself with young men who were pledged to do all they could to expand and preserve the Catholic Church. His military background gave the Jesuits a strong organizational structure and demanded absolute obedience to the pope. They stressed education and many of the finest universities in Europe were founded by the Jesuits.

They were extraordinary missionaries, first throughout Europe, following the pope’s command to return every leader to Catholicism. As Spain and Portugal expanded their territory, the Jesuits went with them to evangelize.

Because of this missionary spirit, the Jesuits took Catholicism to Japan, Brazil, Ethiopia and central Africa.

Francis Xavier went further into Japan and into India, Malaysia and Vietnam, dying in China as he attempted to continue spreading the Gospel.

This was the beginning of the renewal of the Roman Catholic Church.